Kul Sharif Mosque

In the second of October 1552 after two grueling siege and brutal assault, knocking Arskii Gates, Russian troops stormed into the burning Kazan. At the city»s streets and squares were battles. Path to the Khan»s palace stood in the most powerful Russian resistance at the walls of the mosque Kul-Sharif.

Path to the Khan»s palace for Russians blocked up the most powerful enemy opposition at the walls of the mosque Kul-Sharif. Madrassa students, led by Seid Kul-Sharif survived several attacks of Russians. But soon the defenders of the Muslim center of the Volga were defeated, and Kazan was captured.

Why we started a conversation with the Kul-Sharif Mosque in Kazan? The fact that Tsar Ivan IV, conquered Kazan, was fascinated by the many buildings of the city, including the mosque Kul-Sharif. Historical sources say that Ivan IV ordered the architectors Posnikov and Barma to build a church like Kazan mosque Kul-Sharif in downtown of Moscow. This church was supposed to symbolize the victory over Kazan by Ivan IV (of Muslims), which opened the way to the Caspian Sea and the transformation of Moscow Empire into the Russian Empire.

There are two symbols of the victory of Russian over the most type seat layout obstacle to the proliferation of Russian and South — Muslims (Tatars, Bulgars). One of these symbols — rising in the center of Moscow Church of the Intercession (St. Basil), 1556-1559, the second — was destroyed Kul-Sharif mosque in Kazan, a gem of Islamic architecture in the Volga Region of XVI century. In many russian historical sources the mosque Kul Sharif is called «Kulsharifovoy”. Many scientists who conducted research on the mosque (Michael Khudyakov, S. Aidarov), argue that the mosque had not disappeared without trace after the Russian invasion. It was rebuilt in stone Blagoveshenskiy sobor. Although there is no precise image of mosque Kul-Sharif, but the draw of Jenkinson we can judge that the mosque had many minarets. The number of minarets is determined from 6 to 8. The mosque consisted of the central tent, surrounded by eight smaller tents. According to another version, the mosque Kul Sharif is similar to the mosque – madrasah called Mihrima-Sultan, built in 1578 in Edirnekapi in Istanbul.